Western comics had a mass die off and only cape shit survived. There aren't any good male comic writers either. I don't think anyone actually reads floppy comics. I think the two sources of income for comic shops are dead guys with active pull lists and laundering small time weed money.
They've diversified. All those Pokémon and Magic tournaments bring in money, especially since you need to be using the most recent cards to participate. They're also now selling new and used movies/ anime, vinyl records, Funko's and retro games. Anything that's "Geek Culture" besides or in addition to books. But if local laws permit, I could see them selling a little THCA/ Delta products too.
And the capeshit comics are still basically impenetrable unless you are already reading them. Even if they promise a "full reset" every decade its still filled with hundreds of required readings to fully understand.
It pisses me off how much capeshit has held comics back. Hell, DC and Marvel have even held back capeshit from becoming good enough to warrant its apex position within the western comic industry. Without fail the comics I read that are from other publishers are superior offerings to whatever slop I've tried to engage with from Marvel.
There are maybe about three and a half good writers in the whole industry.
What's really funny is that "webcomics" have basically picked up all the slack of regular Western Comics and were more popular than them for a very long time.
And then they fell to the same trap, becoming shitty vehicles for political takes or shipping drama. Leaving very little of value to prevent the cringe factor from becoming their entire reputation.
Like, look at how relevant XKCD was and now how completely forgotten he is.
And good fucking riddance. There are few web comic writers I hate more than the guy who does XKCD.
Yes, I'm still fucking salty about his 'free speech' comic. Talk about a masks off moment, and probably one of the first instance I had shoved in my face about how alien leftists could be about things.
Webcomics are the example I hold up as evidence that western comics have been held back. There is absolutely and appetite for western comics that aren't just Marvel/DC slop. There's a ton of stuff you can explore with the medium that just straight up isn't getting a chance to shine. I have read probably in the realm of hundreds of webcomics over the years and the shear number of gems I've come across that should have been seminal works in the broader culture but languished in obscurity before vanishing off the face of the internet is absolutely staggering. Even the capeshit genre had stronger showings in the realm of webcomics than what you can find at your local comic shop.
Western comics had a mass die off and only cape shit survived. There aren't any good male comic writers either. I don't think anyone actually reads floppy comics. I think the two sources of income for comic shops are dead guys with active pull lists and laundering small time weed money.
They've diversified. All those Pokémon and Magic tournaments bring in money, especially since you need to be using the most recent cards to participate. They're also now selling new and used movies/ anime, vinyl records, Funko's and retro games. Anything that's "Geek Culture" besides or in addition to books. But if local laws permit, I could see them selling a little THCA/ Delta products too.
I know of a place that is a combination tabletop game store with axe throwing and a liquor license.
Well, that's certainly ... something. 🤔
And the capeshit comics are still basically impenetrable unless you are already reading them. Even if they promise a "full reset" every decade its still filled with hundreds of required readings to fully understand.
It pisses me off how much capeshit has held comics back. Hell, DC and Marvel have even held back capeshit from becoming good enough to warrant its apex position within the western comic industry. Without fail the comics I read that are from other publishers are superior offerings to whatever slop I've tried to engage with from Marvel.
There are maybe about three and a half good writers in the whole industry.
What's really funny is that "webcomics" have basically picked up all the slack of regular Western Comics and were more popular than them for a very long time.
And then they fell to the same trap, becoming shitty vehicles for political takes or shipping drama. Leaving very little of value to prevent the cringe factor from becoming their entire reputation.
Like, look at how relevant XKCD was and now how completely forgotten he is.
And good fucking riddance. There are few web comic writers I hate more than the guy who does XKCD.
Yes, I'm still fucking salty about his 'free speech' comic. Talk about a masks off moment, and probably one of the first instance I had shoved in my face about how alien leftists could be about things.
Webcomics are the example I hold up as evidence that western comics have been held back. There is absolutely and appetite for western comics that aren't just Marvel/DC slop. There's a ton of stuff you can explore with the medium that just straight up isn't getting a chance to shine. I have read probably in the realm of hundreds of webcomics over the years and the shear number of gems I've come across that should have been seminal works in the broader culture but languished in obscurity before vanishing off the face of the internet is absolutely staggering. Even the capeshit genre had stronger showings in the realm of webcomics than what you can find at your local comic shop.
I still read and collect but with rare exception just old comics.